In the tense atmosphere of October 1981, when the Cold War was at its peak between the United States and Soviet Union, something unexpected happened that could have sparked a major conflict. The story begins on a Soviet submarine called U 137 (also known as S 363) that was supposed to be heading to Kaliningrad, USSR. But what started as a celebration would soon turn into an international incident that would grab the world’s attention.

The episode opens with a joyful scene inside the submarine. Lieutenant Tarasenko, who works for the KGB (Soviet intelligence agency), has just received wonderful news – he’s become a father to a baby girl. Making it even more special, the baby was born on his own birthday. The submarine’s crew, like one big family, gathered to celebrate this happy moment. Captain Peskov, showing an unusually soft side, even declared what he called a “truce in the Cold War” until 6 AM the next morning, allowing everyone to celebrate properly.

The Captain goes even further with his generosity, deciding to give Tarasenko leave to visit his new daughter. He orders the submarine to change course to Klaipėda, where they can drop off the new father. During their celebration, the crew lets loose – something rare for Soviet submarine sailors. They mix vodka with milk (not the best combination!), smoke cigars, and generally have a great time. However, this happy celebration leads to a big mistake that would have serious consequences.

Sub-lieutenant Kuznetsov, who’s responsible for making sure the submarine stays on the right path, is caught up in the festivities. When he needs to calculate new coordinates for their changed course, he’s not exactly thinking clearly due to all the drinking. He makes what seems like a small error in his calculations, but in navigation, even tiny mistakes can lead to big problems.

Meanwhile, in a quiet corner of Sweden, two fishermen brothers named Gustav and Harry Jansson are going about their normal life. Late at night, they hear a strange noise – something that doesn’t fit with their usual peaceful surroundings. The next morning, Gustav goes out early to check his fishing nets, as he does every day. But this morning is different. Instead of just finding fish, he discovers something absolutely incredible – a Soviet submarine stuck on the rocks near Torhamnaskär.

Gustav, being a simple fisherman who’s never dealt with anything like this before, isn’t sure what to do. He decides to call the Swedish government offices, thinking they should know about a foreign submarine in their waters. But when he gets through to a secretary, she treats him like he’s telling a silly story. She’s condescending and dismissive, suggesting he should just ask the submarine to move since “the ocean belongs to everyone.” This conversation shows how sometimes the most serious situations aren’t taken seriously at first.

Back on the submarine, Captain Peskov is having a very bad morning. As the effects of celebration wear off, he realizes they’re in serious trouble. His submarine is not only stuck on rocks but has wandered 19 nautical miles into Swedish waters. Even worse, they’re just six nautical miles from Karlskrona, which happens to be Sweden’s largest naval base. This isn’t just an embarrassing mistake – it’s a potential international crisis.

The Captain needs to report this to Moscow, but he’s clever about it. Instead of admitting that his crew made a mistake because they were celebrating, he orders a message to be sent claiming their navigation system was broken. He even orders someone to damage the navigation equipment to make the story believable. This shows how people sometimes try to cover up human errors with technical explanations.

The story then moves to the grand halls of the Kremlin in Moscow, where we meet Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. The scene reveals a lot about the state of Soviet leadership at the time. Brezhnev is shown as an aging leader who has trouble remembering names and details. When he learns about the submarine incident, an interesting detail comes to light – this wasn’t just a simple navigation error. The submarine was actually part of a secret mission called “Operation Archipelago.”

This operation, we learn, was supposed to involve placing radio beacons and mines in Swedish territory. It’s a reminder that during the Cold War, both sides were constantly working on secret operations. But now, because Captain Peskov ran the submarine aground, they had to stop the operation. This raises an interesting question – was the celebration and navigation error just a convenient cover story for a mission gone wrong?

The scene then shifts to a completely different setting – an American shooting range where President Ronald Reagan is enjoying some skeet shooting. The contrast between Reagan’s relaxed activity and the crisis about to unfold is striking. When he’s informed about the Soviet submarine in Swedish waters, his immediate reaction is to assume the worst – that this might be the beginning of a Soviet attack. This shows how during the Cold War, every incident was seen through the lens of possible conflict.

Reagan, showing the quick decision-making expected of a world leader, immediately orders preparations to contact the Swedish prime minister. He wants to know if nuclear weapons are involved, showing how quickly thoughts turned to the worst-case scenario during the Cold War.

The episode ends with a scene that’s almost comical in its contrast to the building international tension. Swedish Prime Minister Thorbjörn Fälldin is at his farm, going about his normal farming duties, when the urgent phone call comes in. In a moment that perfectly captures the more relaxed Swedish approach, he misses the call and simply says that if it’s important, they’ll call back. Here’s the leader of a country about to be caught in the middle of a Cold War crisis, calmly tending to his sheep and cattle.

This ending sets up several interesting storylines for future episodes. First, there’s the immediate crisis of how to deal with a Soviet submarine in Swedish waters. Then there’s the larger question of what Operation Archipelago was really about – was the Soviet Union planning something bigger in Sweden? The episode also shows how different countries handled the Cold War differently – the Soviets with their secret operations, the Americans with their immediate suspicion of attack, and the Swedes with their initially calm approach.

The incident raises questions about how simple human moments – like celebrating the birth of a child – can collide with international politics. It also shows how mistakes made in moments of celebration can have huge consequences in the world of international relations. The episode masterfully weaves together personal stories with big historical events, showing how the Cold War affected everyone from submarine crews to fishermen to world leaders.

The “Whiskey on the Rocks” incident, as it would come to be known, highlights how close the world sometimes came to serious conflict during the Cold War, often through a combination of human error and military secrecy rather than deliberate aggression. It’s a reminder that history often turns on small moments and individual decisions rather than grand plans.

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